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I LOVE pork carnitas tacos. Pork shoulder (or pork butt) slow-roasted in a slow cooker with pineapple juice and spices until it easily shreds apart. The best part? It’s the perfect crispy meat for tacos, pulled pork sliders, pulled pork quesadillas, and more….and you’ll have plenty of leftover pulled pork to try all three of these recipes.
While traditional carnitas are typically fried and then slow-cooked in lard, a crockpot simplifies the process and does all the heavy lifting, rendering fall-apart tender and full of savory, citrusy flavor. A quick broil at the end gives you those irresistibly crispy edges that take carnitas over the top.
My pork carnitas tacos recipe is served as a small corn tortilla street taco with fresh cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and a creamy lime sauce for a simple and delicious taco. I also have a carnitas taco bowl variation of this recipe, served with my favorite toppings!
If you’re looking for more delicious taco recipes like this, try my easy chicken birria tacos, spicy shrimp tacos, and authentic carne asada tacos! All of these recipes also pair really nicely with my cilantro lime rice recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pork shoulder or pork butt: Look for a 4–5 lb boneless pork shoulder (also called a pork butt). Trim off the thick fat cap if you prefer less fat, or leave some for extra flavor. Pork shoulder is ideal thanks to it’s fatty marbling throughout.
- Coke: a splash of Coke helps tenderize the meat and adds a subtle sweetness that balances the spices. You can also use a similar cola or a mix of water and brown sugar in a pinch.
- Orange Juice: fresh orange juice gives the carnitas a bright, authentic flavor. Toss the spent orange halves right into the slow cooker for extra depth. You can also use limes in addition! I’ve also used pineapple juice.
- Spices: a simple blend of cumin, paprika, oregano, chili powder, cinnamon, and black pepper infuses the pork with tons of savory, earthy flavor.
See the recipe card below for full details on ingredients and quantities.
Expert Tips
- Cut the pork into chunks: this helps it cook faster and more evenly. Four-inch pieces are perfect.
- Broil before serving: Don’t skip this step—broiling the shredded pork makes the edges caramelized and crispy, just like traditional carnitas. You can also heat/crisp in a hot skillet.
- Make ahead: carnitas keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat under the broiler or in a hot skillet to crisp them back up.
- Optionally serve these with guacamole and pickled red onions!
Removing the Fat Cap
The fat cap is a thick, tough layer of white fat that sits on top of larger cuts of pork, such as butts and shoulders. I opted to remove the majority of the surface fat cap so the dry rub could better penetrate and soak into the meat. You don’t need to go crazy removing the fat, a little is OK. In general, a pork shoulder or butt will have enough fat throughout the meat to keep it tender and juicy either way.
Just to note, this step is optional and you can leave it on to cook, you just may have to remove it after cooking as it won’t entirely break down.
Toasting the Corn Tortillas
Corn tortillas tend to be more brittle than flour tortillas. I prefer to briefly toast my tortillas in a pan or using the oven’s broiler. It works much better than steaming and tastes phenomenal. Either way, it prevents the tortillas from cracking or falling apart when handled.
On the stove: Sear in a large pan on medium heat with cooking spray. 1 minute per side should do the trick.
Using the broiler: You can also broil on high on a baking sheet, 8 inches from the heat source for 2-3 minutes (no flipping needed).
At a bare minimum, steam in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30 seconds.
More Taco Recipes
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
Pork Carnitas
- 4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, (bone-in OK too)
- 3/4 cup Coke
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice, or orange juice
- 1 white onion, cubed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Tacos
- corn tortillas
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- Fresh cilantro, for serving
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- Hot sauce, optional
- chopped avocado or guacamole, for topping
Simple creamy lime sauce (optional)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 lime, juice squeezed
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Prep the pork: Pat the pork dry and remove the fat cap (optional). You can also leave it on or remove some. Cut into 4-inch cubes. If using a bone-in cut, cut around the bone.
- Add pork to a slow cooker/crock pot. Season all over with dry spices. Top with orange juice/pineapple (toss orange in), coke, onions, and garlic. Stir, cover, and cook for 4-5 hours on high heat or 7-8 hours on low heat. Shoot for an internal temp of 200°F. Meat should easily pull apart with your hands.
Broiling/crisping the pork
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pulled pork from the slow cooker. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little extra juice from the slow cooker. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes until the meat starts to brown/crisp. This lends a little caramelization and crispy texture. You can also crisp in a hot pan with butter or oil.
- Serve warm with toasted corn tortillas, lime wedges, diced onions, hot sauce, avocado/guac, and creamy lime sauce.
Creamy Lime Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and slightly runny. Add more water if too thick. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
